The Highlander hits rock bottom

From the San Jose Mercury News:

A man arguing with a store clerk over lottery tickets was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon Tuesday morning after he showed an officer a sword concealed in his trench coat, Watsonville police reported.

Hundreds of knives found in ex-con's house, police say

After a convicted felon allegedly tried to bring four hunting knives into a Chicago government building, police found about 1,600 knives at his house, plus a few handguns.

AP Photo/Chicago Sun-Times, Brian Jackson)

Guns in Pentagon, Vegas attacks came from Memphis PD

The AP reports that guns used in a shooting at the Las Vegas federal courthouse and a Pentagon transit stop had been in the custody of Memphis police, who had seized them during arrests. While some departments destroy seized weapons, Memphis is one that will trade them to get better weapons or other equipment.

The good news: pen guns work

In Washington state, a 28-year-old man accidentally shot his younger brother after an evening of drinking. The older brother had a pen gun hidden in his shoe. (It's basically what it sounds like: a small, one-shot gun that looks like a pen.) The brother got hit in the abdomen, but should be OK.

Boy, 6, suspended for pointing finger like gun

It was terrible -- three people were pretend-killed. Imaginary blood was everywhere ...

Hat Tip: Many thanks, cripjak!

Mother of the Year?

In Memphis, a woman was arrested after she allegedly brought a sword, hidden inside a cane, to her child's school, police say. She was allegedly upset because another kid had spit on her child and planned to confront that kid's parents. After she was arrested, police say, the suspect told them she'd had a 40-ounce bottle of Colt 45 before heading out on her mission.

Luckily, her mother can explain: The suspect didn't plan to use it on anyone at school. She just needed the sword if she met any pit bulls along the way.

Man's "safe room" was actually kind of dangerous

A Washington state man was arrested after his mother called the police. She was worried about his mental state, and she wasn't thrilled about the "safe room" that he'd built, the Post-Intelligencer reports.

In addition to a muzzle-loading .50-caliber rifle, a 9 mm pistol and a crossbow, police recovered five throwing knives, two "Ninja" throwing stars, nunchucks and "a homemade mace utilizing a chain and a saw blade," according to court documents. Officers also located a partially assembled homemade cannon, as well as 39 books and DVDs on combat techniques.

Butcher knife + pool cue = awesome

In Alexandria, La., police arrested a bicyclist who was carrying an unusual improvised weapon -- a pool cue with a butcher knife on the end. (He also had a razor blade in his hat.) He was accused of several offenses, including public intoxication.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, cripjak!

Trenton man made his own IEDs, feds say

From Mark Morris: Richard W. Cobley, 53, was charged with being a felon in possession of two firearms, a .17-caliber rifle and a .40-caliber pistol.

Last week, a federal undercover agent met Cobley at his Northern Missouri home and saw both firearms and at least one of the bombs, according to an affidavit filed by Matthew Brown, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Brown alleged that Cobley took the agent to a “hidden room” in the home’s basement, where he showed off the bomb that was inside a military-style jacket.The bomb purportedly had BBs attached to a PVC pipe casing with black electrical tape.

Cobley gave the device to the investigator, encouraging him to “try it out and see if you like it,” according to the affidavit. Cobley allegedly said he purchased the bomb’s materials on the Internet, particularly from the auction site eBay.

Eagle Scout's pocket knife gets him suspended

Where was the pocket knife? In the trunk of his car, where he kept it with his emergency survival gear. But the school decided that, since the car was parked on school grounds, it was still a violation and suspended him for 20 days. He's just hoping that it won't keep him out of West Point.

Wisconsin teen used blowdart to kill rabbit, police say

Which is against the law there. (Probably didn't help that he allegedly left the rabbit, blowdart still attached, lying in a driveway.)

Hat Tip: Many thanks, JUNGLE JIM!

Man builds mole trap using shotgun shell, steel plate

And he only loses PART of a finger! Police aren't sure if they'll charge him for setting an illegal trap.

Good news! More nutjobs are wearing body armor!

Both the Binghamton and Pittsburgh shooters were wearing body armor when they went on their killing sprees because there isn't a background-check requirement, The AP reports. (Their story doesn't explicitly explain why this is a bad thing -- I presume it's because it makes killing the nutjobs just a little harder.)

Cedar Rapids police want to ban BB guns

And paintball guns, too. The police say they've had something like 150 cases of broken windows that can be blamed on the devices. I understand what they're trying to do -- but if somebody REALLY wants to break a window, don't you think they'll just find something else to accomplish the task. It seems unfair to take a kid's BB gun from him.

KC man accused of possessing Molotov cocktails

From Christine Vendel:

Kansas City police found two Molotov cocktails in a man’s car Sunday after he allegedly threatened a woman.

Jackson County prosecutors charged Jahn M. Moore, 29, with possession of an illegal weapon. He was in jail today in lieu of a $100,000 bond.

According to court records, a woman called police about 2:20 a.m. Sunday and said Moore had threatened to drive his car into her house if she didn’t pay him money she owed him for damage to his vehicle. He later allegedly called back and threatened to shoot her.

Police stopped Moore’s car near 31st Street and Spruce Avenue, two blocks from the woman’s home, and found two glass bottles filled with gas. One was topped with a rag.

Gun owners go on a bullet-buying spree

It's gotten to the point where the entire state of Florida is facing a bullet shortage. Experts say that a lot of gun owners are worried the Obama administration is going to push for a new tax on ammo.

MO man needed explosives for "the end of the world," police say

Police say a 22-year-old man, who believes the world will end in 2012, stole a gob of C4 -- about 50 pounds worth -- from a police training area near St. Charles, Mo., back in summer 2007. A friend reportedly tipped the authorities off after catching a glimpse of his pal's armory.

(It's never for anything fun, like "because I wanted to have the bestest July Fourth ever." Nope, it's usually Y2K or a large-scale murder plot.)

Now we know why he got the leading role in the movie, "Jackass."

Johnny Knoxville was caught trying to bring an inert grenade through LAX security in his carry-on luggage.

-Meredith Rodriguez

Hat Tip: Many Thanks Keight G. in PV!

Iraq vet accused of selling homemade IEDS to OK City gangstas

I always see this Army recruitment ads on TV, showing how servicemembers can use skills they learned in the military back in the regular working world. I don't think this is what they meant.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, JUNGLE JIM!

Police shoot man yelling, "Just shoot me."

OK, the gun in his hand may have been added incentive.

|Meredith Rodriguez

UPDATE: Teen turns disposable camera into stun gun

Which is more awesome when you consider the average person has a hard time using a disposable camera as a disposable camera. He got suspended for it, though, but the school has dropped the matter after he sued them. Huzzah!

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV!

A mother's love

How not to help your son deal with bullying: BUYING HIM WEAPONS.

VA man caught with guns, grenade in DC

The AP says the man stopped to ask a police officer for directions, and the officer noticed a rifle case in the vehicle, which led to a full search. Happened near the Library of Congress. CNN notes that nobody is saying the guy planned an attack.

Why I love auctions

Arkansas authorities had a bit of scare when auctioneers found a case of C-4 sitting among the goods at an estate sale. (Between a porcelain coffee set and some decorative eggs, as it turns out. Wonder if they were being sold as a group.) Police say the explosives were 15 years old, which made them even MORE unstable.

The owner would have faced charges ... if he weren't already dead.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, FanDanGo!

Ninja vigilantes target drug-dealing scum, police say

Story is from New Jersey, where two young men dressed up as ninjas and armed themselves with swords, nunchuks, throwing stars and other weapons -- all in an effort to rid their streets of drug-dealing scum!

Which they attempted, mostly, by writing nasty letters to local drug dealers and their clientele, police say. The "Shinobi Warriors" are now facing charges ...

Twenty-year-old Tadeusz Tertkiewicz and 19-year-old Jesse Trojaniak are charged with weapons possession. Tertkiewicz is also charged with harassment for a letter left for an ex-girlfriend.

Trojaniak's father tells The Associated Press his son is "not a maniac" and was only trying to help a friend.